National Car Hire in San Francisco

Hola Car Rentals is the only premium partner of the top car hire brands operating in San Francisco, giving you exclusive access to our All Inclusive+ rate. This rate includes benefits that no other company can match:

• Free liability coverage starting at US$ 300,000 in case of an accident (applies only to certain rates and itineraries)
• Toll cashback: recover up to 5% of the reservation's total value for toll charges incurred during your hire period
• Premium travel medical assistance providing up to US$ 150,000 in coverage for a maximum of 5 passengers in case of a medical emergency, excluding pre-existing conditions
• No Extra Charges© guarantee: if the counter charges you for something not listed on your confirmation and not an optional add-on you accepted, Hola Car Rentals will work to remove or reimburse the charge after verification

All of this comes at no extra cost, ensuring a fully protected car hire experience and peace of mind throughout your trip in San Francisco.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking in San Francisco are clearly shown at the time of reservation and in your confirmation email, so you know exactly what you are paying before you arrive at the counter.

On top of that, every Hola Car Rentals booking includes the No Extra Charges© guarantee. This is a pricing guarantee (not insurance) that protects you if the counter in San Francisco charges you for something that was not listed on your confirmation and was not an optional add-on you accepted. If that happens, Hola Car Rentals will work with the hire partner to remove or reimburse the charge after verification.

The only costs outside this guarantee are:

• Optional add-ons you choose at the counter (GPS, child seats, prepaid fuel)
• Usage-based charges (tolls, fuel shortfall, traffic fines)

National Car Rental operates from the San Francisco International Airport Rental Car Centre (RCC) at 780 N. McDonnell Road. The National counter is located on the 4th floor of the RCC, alongside other major brands such as Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise.

To reach the National counter from any San Francisco terminal, follow the AirTrain signs and board the Blue Line towards the Rental Car Centre station. The journey takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes, and the AirTrain is free and operates 24 hours a day. Once you arrive at the RCC station, take the lift or escalator to the 4th floor and proceed to the National desk to sign your agreement and collect your keys.

Typical time from landing to driving away at San Francisco Airport:

• Domestic flight with carry-on only: 25 to 45 minutes
• Domestic flight with checked bags: 40 to 70 minutes
• International flight including immigration: 75 to 150 minutes
• Add 10 to 20 minutes during peak periods for counter queues

National counter hours at the San Francisco RCC are 6 AM to 12:30 AM daily.

To collect your National hire car in San Francisco, you must present the following at the RCC counter:

• A valid, original driver’s licence (physical card, not expired) in the main driver’s name
• A major credit card with the driver’s name printed on the card, in the main driver’s name, for the authorisation hold
• A passport or government-issued photo ID (strongly recommended for all visitors arriving at San Francisco Airport)

If your driver’s licence is not in English and does not use a Latin alphabet (for example, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic script), an International Driving Permit (IDP) is required as a translation alongside your original licence. For licences in other non-English scripts, an IDP is recommended but not strictly mandatory. The IDP is not a standalone document and must always be presented together with your original licence.

All documents must be be physical originals. Digital copies are not accepted at the National counter in San Francisco or at any other hire location. Debit and prepaid cards are not accepted for the authorisation hold.

Ensure all names match across your licence, passport, and credit card, including middle names and hyphenations, to avoid delays at the San Francisco counter.

San Francisco and the wider Bay Area use the FasTrak electronic toll system. All tolls in the area are fully cashless, meaning there are no cash payment options at toll plazas. Your National hire car will include an electronic toll device or a plate-based billing system.

Key Bay Area toll costs to plan for:

• Bay Bridge (westbound, 2-axle car): approximately US$8.50 per crossing at FasTrak rates
• Golden Gate Bridge (southbound only, 2-axle car): US$9.75 at FasTrak rates, or US$10.75 at invoice rate

At the National counter in San Francisco, you will typically be offered two options:

• Unlimited toll package: a fixed daily fee (approximately US$11 to US$25 per day depending on the programme) covering all tolls during the hire
• Pay per use: you decline the package and tolls are billed to your card after the hire, along with administrative processing fees that can be 30 to 50 per cent higher than FasTrak rates

One important detail specific to San Francisco: the Golden Gate Bridge charges tolls southbound only (returning into the city from Marin County). You pay nothing when driving north out of San Francisco. Toll charges may appear on your card days or even weeks after you return the National vehicle.

Yes, all Hola Car Rentals bookings, including National hires in San Francisco, include Tolls Cashback of up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your hire.

Given that San Francisco sits in the Bay Area where bridge tolls are unavoidable on many common routes, this benefit can offset a significant portion of your toll costs. For example, if your booking total is US$600, the maximum cashback is US$30. If you paid US$22 in Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge tolls during your San Francisco hire, you would receive US$22 back in full.

To claim your Tolls Cashback after returning your National vehicle in San Francisco:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of vehicle return
• Use the subject line: Tolls Cashback, followed by your reservation confirmation number
• Attach your Hola Car Rentals confirmation, the signed hire agreement from National, and a toll invoice or statement showing charges paid

Refunds are issued to the original payment method used for your booking and typically process within 7 to 10 working days after approval. Submissions received after 30 days are not accepted.

Yes, a young driver surcharge applies to National hires in San Francisco for drivers under 25 years old.

In the United States, the standard minimum age to hire without additional fees is 25. For National in San Francisco, drivers aged 21 to 24 are generally permitted to hire but will be charged a daily young-renter surcharge. The fee for Alamo, National, and Enterprise is US$15 per day plus applicable taxes, payable at the counter during pickup at the San Francisco Rental Car Centre.

Additional points to keep in mind:

• Vehicle class restrictions apply: categories such as full-size SUVs, premium, luxury, minivans, and convertibles are typically restricted to drivers aged 25 and older
• Economy, compact, and intermediate vehicles are generally available to drivers aged 21 to 24
• The young driver surcharge is separate from any additional driver fees
• California state law does not override the rental company's age-based surcharge policy

If you are adding a young driver as an additional driver to a National hire in San Francisco, the same surcharge rules apply and the additional driver must be present at the counter with a valid licence.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your National hire in San Francisco, but the additional driver must be present in person at the counter at the time of pickup.

At the National counter on the 4th floor of the San Francisco Airport Rental Car Centre, both the main driver and the additional driver must appear together. The additional driver must present a valid driver’s licence and, if applicable, an International Driving Permit. Both drivers must sign the hire agreement before the vehicle is released.

Fees for adding a driver to a National hire in San Francisco:

• If your booking confirmation states the additional driver is included, no fee applies at the counter
• If not included, National charges US$15 per day plus taxes for each additional driver
• The minimum age for additional drivers at National in San Francisco is 21, though a young-driver surcharge applies for drivers aged 21 to 24

Only drivers listed on the hire agreement are covered by the vehicle’s protections, including CDW and liability cover. If someone not named on the agreement drives the National vehicle in San Francisco, cover may be void and additional charges could apply. If you need to add a driver after pickup, you must return to a National branch to update the agreement.

San Francisco has one of the most extensive one-way street networks in the United States, and it directly affects how you navigate a National hire car through the city.

Key driving features to be aware of in San Francisco:

• Many major corridors operate as one-way pairs, such as Bush and Pine Streets, and Turk and Eddy Streets from Van Ness Avenue. These were designed to funnel traffic downtown quickly, which means higher approach speeds and more complex turns than in cities with standard two-way grids
• Some streets have been narrowed to a single lane through neckdown chokepoints, where two-way traffic is squeezed into one lane. Westbound vehicles typically have priority, but this rule is informal and not always signed clearly, creating standoffs that can confuse drivers unfamiliar with San Francisco
• Golden Gate Park applies weekend and holiday closures on certain roads, including JFK Drive on Sundays and holidays, restricting through-traffic more aggressively than typical US parks

The Golden Gate Bridge charges tolls southbound only, meaning you pay when returning to San Francisco from Marin County, not when leaving the city. This is different from most US bridges that collect tolls in both directions.

Reviewing your route before driving your National vehicle in San Francisco, particularly around downtown and the park, will help you avoid unexpected turns and standoffs.

Yes, after-hours vehicle returns are available at the San Francisco Airport Rental Car Centre for National hires.

The National return area is located on the 2nd floor of the RCC garage at 780 N. McDonnell Road. If you are returning your National vehicle outside of counter hours (the National counter operates 6 AM to 12:30 AM daily), you can use the designated key drop boxes in the return area.

Steps for an after-hours return of your National hire in San Francisco:

• Follow the Rental Car Return signs from any San Francisco Airport terminal or road to the RCC at 780 N. McDonnell Road
• Drive to the 2nd floor return area designated for National vehicles
• Park the vehicle in the assigned space and note the mileage and fuel level
• Deposit the keys in the key drop box provided
• Keep a photo of the dashboard showing the fuel gauge and odometer, and a photo of the vehicle condition

Important: with a key drop return, you cannot immediately resolve any disputes about fuel level, damage, or toll charges at the counter. Under the Full-to-Full fuel policy, you must return the National vehicle with the same fuel level recorded at pickup. Refuel near the RCC before returning, as fuel stations are located en route to the San Francisco Airport return facility.

When you pick up your National hire car in San Francisco, a temporary authorisation hold will be placed on your credit card for the security deposit. This hold is not a charge but reduces your available credit until it is released after the hire ends.

For National hires in the United States, including San Francisco, the typical hold on a major credit card is approximately US$300 to US$400 for a standard vehicle. The exact amount can vary based on the vehicle class, hire duration, and the specific San Francisco location.

Requirements for the deposit at the National counter in San Francisco:

• A physical, major credit card in the main driver’s name with the driver’s name printed on the card is required
• Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual cards are not accepted for the deposit hold
• The card must have sufficient available credit to cover the hold plus any expected charges
• Digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay are not accepted for the deposit

After you return the National vehicle in San Francisco, the hold is released. Your bank or card issuer controls how quickly the credit becomes available again, which can take up to 15 working days. Bring a backup credit card in your name in case your primary card is declined at the San Francisco counter.

Yes, most Hola Car Rentals bookings, including National hires in San Francisco, include travel assistance coverage provided by Terrawind Global Protection at no extra cost.

This benefit is particularly relevant in San Francisco, where driving a hire car on unfamiliar one-way streets or navigating Bay Area motorways can lead to unexpected situations. Coverage typically includes:

• Travel insurance with medical cover for up to 5 passengers
• Legal assistance in the event of a road accident
• Compensation for luggage lost by the airline
• Flight cancellation insurance

If you need assistance during your National hire in San Francisco, contact Terrawind 24 hours a day:

• Phone (toll-free or collect): +1 888 980 9992
• WhatsApp: +1 208 910 1001
• Email: [email protected]

When you call, have your full name and your Hola Car Rentals confirmation number ready. Follow the coordinator's instructions and keep all receipts and reports for any reimbursement claim.

Important: this travel assistance benefit applies only to non-North American customers. Residents of the United States and Canada do not qualify for this coverage. Check your booking confirmation for the exact terms and coverage limits applicable to your San Francisco hire.

An International Driving Permit (IDP) is not always mandatory for a National hire in San Francisco, but it is strongly recommended in certain situations.

California hire companies, including National in San Francisco, generally accept a valid foreign driver’s licence. However, the counter agent must be able to read and verify your licence. An IDP is required if your licence uses a non-Latin alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic script. In that case, you must present both your original licence and the IDP together at the National counter in San Francisco.

For licences in other non-English scripts or formats, an IDP is recommended but not strictly mandatory. Bringing one reduces the risk of delays at the San Francisco Rental Car Centre counter.

Key points to remember:

• The IDP is a translation document only and is invalid without your original licence
• Obtain your IDP in your home country before travelling to San Francisco, as US-based issuers do not issue IDPs to non-US licence holders
• Bring your passport as a secondary photo ID, which is especially useful at the National counter in San Francisco if additional identity verification is requested
• All names must match across your licence, IDP, passport, and booking confirmation

National hires in San Francisco follow a Full-to-Full fuel policy. You receive the vehicle with a full tank and must return it full to avoid additional charges.

Steps to follow for the fuel policy on your San Francisco National hire:

• At pickup, check the fuel gauge with the National agent and confirm the starting level is recorded as full on the hire agreement
• Take a photo of the dashboard showing the odometer and fuel gauge before leaving the San Francisco Rental Car Centre
• Refuel within approximately 10 miles of the return location before bringing the vehicle back to the RCC at 780 N. McDonnell Road
• Keep your final fuel receipt showing the date, time, and station address
• For after-hours returns, leave the receipt in the key drop envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge

If you return the National vehicle in San Francisco with less than a full tank, you may be charged for the fuel shortfall at the hire company’s refuelling rate, which is typically higher than retail pump prices, plus a refuelling service fee.

Fuel stations are located en route to the San Francisco Airport RCC, so plan to refuel before reaching the return facility. If the vehicle was not full at pickup, ensure the exact starting level is noted on the agreement and return it at that same level.

Yes, you can use your own FasTrak account with a National hire in San Francisco, but you need to take a specific step at the counter to avoid being charged twice.

FasTrak is the statewide electronic toll system used across all Bay Area bridges and express lanes in San Francisco and Northern California. If you have a personal FasTrak account, you can add the rental vehicle’s licence plate to your account for the duration of your hire. This allows you to pay tolls at the discounted FasTrak rate, which is 30 to 50 per cent cheaper than the invoice or plate-recognition rate charged when no enrolment exists.

To use your own FasTrak account with a National hire in San Francisco:

• Inform the National counter agent at the San Francisco Rental Car Centre that you will be using your own FasTrak account
• Ask the agent to deactivate the vehicle’s default toll device to prevent duplicate charges
• Add the rental vehicle’s licence plate number to your FasTrak account before your first toll crossing
• Remove the plate from your account when you return the National vehicle in San Francisco

If you prefer not to manage your own account, you can opt into National’s pay-per-use toll programme at the counter, or decline all programmes and pay tolls directly through the toll agency’s website within the required window after each crossing.